Appraised value: $2000-2400.
Knocked-down price: $50,400.
If you've read Part I, you already know these facts. It would be easy to whistle in disbelief at the increased price, admire the quilt, close your laptop -- and stop right there.
But for the personal property appraiser, this is only the beginning.
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More questions need to be asked...and the link above is a good start. (Be sure to click on it, and read the auctioneers' description, so you can see where I'm going on this.) By the way, you may have caught some of the symbolism in the link, as well as from my comments in the previous post. Did you realize that the black-and-tan figure in top right is meant to represent an alluring woman, tempting the man to run off -- and not do his job? (I didn't, at first -- I thought her face was another shaded palm/fern. But now it's all I can see.)
On with the questions/comments:
*In spite of its unique design, unlike Harriet Power's Bible quilts, this is not a one-of-a-kind piece. At least five quilts survive, using this pattern. That strongly suggests there may be others. (Would they all be worth $50,400 then? That is certainly what their owners would hope -- and assume.)
*This is probably not THE quilt shown in 'The Top 100 Quilts in the 20th Century,' mentioned in Part I. For one, quiltmaker is listed as 'unknown.' (The other quilt has a maker listed. This is called 'provenance,' by the way.) However, both quilts are very similar.
Side question: did the panel in charge of choosing those admittedly-wonderful quilts on the list know that more than one version of this pattern existed? My strong guess: no.
*How does workmanship and materials on this quilt compare with the others known to exist? Is it better... or worse? Just from experience, I know that when you have simple straight-line quilting like this, it's often group-quilted. (Because it's easier to accomplish, and you can 'hide' the lesser-skilled quilters in more unobtrusive areas.) Should the 'more than one person' issue be a factor?
*Should I cut it some slack, if workmanship and materials aren't high quality, based on its origins? (Assuming it was indeed stitched by a quiltmaker in the TVA area, and not from a relative or friend elsewhere who admired it -- and made one of her own.) Unemployment was high in this region, with chances for higher education at a premium. Access to quality materials was simply unaffordable at times. (By the way, cotton solids were generally cheaper than prints, unless both came from feedsacks, which were free -- or inexpensive.)
I can't tell workmanship for certain on this piece. But based on fading and wear apparent in the photo, these were inexpensive fabrics. Maybe even hand-dyed.
*Ruth Clements Bond designed other quilt patterns with similarities to this pattern. I don't know how many were made, but I've seen at least one. Bear in mind that she is the designer. Others, like Ruby McKim, occasionally made quilts, as well as designing them. I have never heard that Clements Bond did this.
*How many other quilts in this pattern -- or another of Ruth Clements Bond's designs -- have sold in recent years? If so, for how much? What was their condition, compared to this one?
*How does this piece compare with other African-American themed quilts of the period? How graphic are those designs -- should that be a factor? Secondary question: does the quiltmaker have to be African-American themselves, to have the piece 'count?' And in that case, do I factor in their education, skill level, access to quality materials, etc., as well? (These questions strongly affected response to the group of textiles that became known as Gee's Bend quilts. A more balanced look at the same group, plus the quiltmakers, is here.)
*Is this quilt's current sale value being positively affected by recent events? I have to believe the answer to this is, of course: yes.
African-American and Black-themed designs are still rare, in spite of outstanding contributions by some POC quilt teachers. (Quilted garments come immediately to mind. I am a huge fan of Rachel Clark's work, and her faithfulness to her roots. Her DNA is not the primary -- or any-- issue at all.) Hopefully, that's in the process of changing for the better. Susie Taylor, we need more people like you!
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| One of Rachel's jackets. See what I mean? This is art, as much as a wearable. |
Some of these could be rabbit trails...but some must definitely be answered, for the appraiser to be doing their job. I hope you've enjoyed this look into the mind and reasoning of one.
(If you've seen other quilts of Ruth Clement Bond's design, please mention them in the comments! I'll add them to info about this one in my workfile.)
3 comments:
Yes,I found a very important TVA quilt.I also discovered the letters and paperwork including photographs of maurice seay sitting with this quilt at his back.It was a wonderful find for me.I was very happy with the hours of research that case auction put in on authenticating this wonderful piece of art !
Provenance is a wonderful thing!
I would love it if you'd take some time to explain Maurice's connection to this piece -- I'm not sure what you're alluding to. (I did look up his obituary, but that info was not helpful.)
Looking forward to hearing from you. And thanks so much for writing.
Update: I know the significance of Maurice Seay! He was the director of the educational program at the TVA dam sites. This quilt was given to him as an expression of thanks.
Take a look here for a long explanation of the quilt -- wonderful provenance. Some of the issues in the post still apply, but it's not often you get such a solid provenance. Fascinating.
https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/important-tva-quilt-designed-by-ruth-clement-bond-154-c-3e34f85b13
This lot includes a 1978 photograph of the quilt taken at "Seay-Me-Home," the vacation home of its then-owner, Maurice Seay, along with a copy of a typewritten document dated 1976 found with the quilt, describing Seay's connection to the quilt. It states this quilt was given as an expression of gratitude by workers at the Pickwick Dam Village to Maurice Seay, director of the educational program at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dam sites during the Depression era. It was designed by Ruth Clement Bond (1904-2005), an African American educator, civic leader, and designer who "helped transform the American quilt from a utilitarian bedcovering into a work of avant-garde social commentary" (Source: The New York Times obituary of Mrs. Bond, Nov. 13, 2005 - https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/13/obituaries/ruth-clement-bond-101-quilter-and-civic-leader-is-dead.html ). Bond accompanied her husband, Dr. J. Max Bond, to the TVA dam construction sites where he had been hired in 1934 as a personnel manager to work with the black construction workers. He was, at the time, the company's highest ranking African American official. Mrs. Bond supplied wives of the workers living at the various sites with quilt designs, many rich with symbolism, including this one, which exhibits elements reminiscent of paintings by Harlem Renaissance artist Aaron Douglas (particularly his mural series, "Aspects of Negro Life," 1934). This is one of five quilts in this particular pattern known to exist along with one smaller related textile. The smaller textile is in the collection of the Museum of Art and Design in New York, one quilt is in the Michigan State University African American quilt collection, and a second quilt is in the private collection at TVA Headquarters. The whereabouts of the other two, both documented prior to 1990 by author and quilt researcher Merikay Waldvogel, are unknown.
Condition, while good of the primary image, still has some problems. According to a note left by Mr. Seay -- Documentation with this lot includes a note from this quilt's original owner, Maurice Seay, dated 1988, stating that the bottom of the quilt "was stained and faded as it hung on the north wall in the cabin."
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